Tenderness
by Bite The Dust
Summary: In which Monica asks Shachihoko for relationship advice.


"Spenc_eeeeeer..._ Can you give me some advice on something?"

The blond man looked up from where he was working to give the pouting redhead in front of him a cold stare. "Monica, can't you see I'm trying to practice for my match?" He looked back down at the dough he was kneading, completely ignoring her request... But Monica Adenauer was known to be particularly difficult woman to ignore, especially when she wanted something- and that was _before_ she had broken her vow of silence.

She just kept leaning over onto the island counter across from where he was working, completely blank look on her face but a murderous gleam in her eye. She radiated a scary aura, if asked which of his teammates he was most scared of, it would probably be a toss-up between the freaky ashen-skinned mime and the bubbly little candy maker. He physically shuddered. How did she even do that? It was making his skin crawl...

He slammed his hands down on the wooden counter, knocking a measuring cup and a closed container over. "God dammit girl, will you cut that out!? I can't work this way!" He shouted, leaning down to her level and cupping his head in his hands.

She gave him an innocent, wide eyed look and said in her sweetest voice, "I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

He groaned, sliding his hands along his face and through his hair, pulling strands out of his ponytail and messing up his bangs.

"Aw, don't be that way." She got up off of the counter and stretched to her full height, which was still about as tall as Shachihoko leaning over the counter. "Now can I please ask you about something?"

"C'mon, girl. Don't even try to be coy. I _know_ you're just going to ask me about Suwabara again-" Her face turned bright red. "-and I've told you before, I don't know the first thing about the guy other than the strictly professional stuff. It's not worth it to ask me."

"But... But..." She looked like she was at the end of her rope. "I really don't know what to do with him..." Her voice was small. "I wasn't even gonna ask you anything specific this time, I just thought, since you're kind of a guy..." "_Kind of_!?" "Hush. That you could... y'know, give me some guy advice."

He gave a loud sigh. _This is what happens when two socially and emotionally stunted people start a relationship, _Spencer thought, _they're both too inexperienced to realize if they're doing anything wrong and everyone around them suffers... I wonder if Suwabara is bothering his teammates about this... Whatever this is as much as she's bugging me?_

She was looking at him expectantly, and he sighed again. "Alright, what do you think I could possibly help you with?"

She brightened up a little, but still seemed uncharacteristically shy. "It's just that, it's been days since we started going out; I thought he would have warmed up to me a little more by now, but he still just... Doesn't reciprocate."

Spencer sighed again. "Have you thought that maybe the reason for that is because you're so... Abrasive?"

"A-Abrasive?"

"Yes." He started the task of putting his hair back where it should be. "Have you been rough with him at all? A little clingy, maybe?"

"Uh..."

"Yeah, I thought so." He had to take the elastic out to fix it, damn. "How about you try being a little more... Gentle with the guy? You said it yourself, he's not used to girls at all- I get you're feeling neglected, but it's not that he _won't_ return your rather... Violent affections-" "_Hey_!" She snapped at him, "- he just doesn't know how."

Her face fell, realization dawning. "... Oh."

"Yup." He put the elastic back in his hair. All better. "So how about, instead of just running up and jumping on him _like I know you do_-" She looked guilty. "- Just... Start out more... Softly."

"Softly?" She blinked at him.

"Yes. Softly. Tenderly. No assaulting."

"I've never done any assaulting!"

He gave her a look that said _really now_?

Two spots of color appeared high on her cheekbones. "Okay, maybe some _slight_ assaulting has gone on... Once or twice."

He continued staring at her and her cheeks got redder and redder as seconds ticked by.

"_C-Cut it out already_! If you already know, then there's really no point in making me confess is there!?" He laughed at her and she glowered at him.

"Anyway," She relaxed after the stare was relinquished, "thanks so much for the advice, Spencer!" She walked over to his side of the island and threw her arms around him. "You're the best friend anybody could ever ask for!"

"Aw, c'mon, girl, get off me, I'm covered in flour..." She obliged. "Just make me pancakes tomorrow morning and we'll be square, okay?"

She gave him a blinding smile and said "Okay!" Then started making her way out of the kitchen.

"Hey, you leavin'?" He called after her.

"Yeah." She took her coat off a rack near the door and shrugged it on, and smiled at him again. "I'm gonna go see if your plan gets me anywhere. I'll see you later!"

"Good luck!" He shouted, and heard the door slam. "Well then, time to get back to work!" He rolled his shoulders, pushed up his sleeves, made a last few slight adjustments to his hair and...

... He then looked down to see all the gas had escaped from the dough he had been kneading earlier.

He sighed and tossed it in the trash so he could start again.

* * *

Monica quickly made her way over to the hotel Japan's team was staying at. It was late morning but still fairly cold, and the wind chill made it even colder. She wiggled further into her jacket.

The series of rooms they were staying in were on an upper floor, so after she crossed the hotel lobby she took an elevator ride, and after that it was only a couple short steps to her darling's room. She was actually feeling sort of nervous... Spencer had been correct in all his assumptions, so she didn't doubt the advice he gave her, but tenderness just wasn't in her nature. Like a true redhead, she was spontaneous and, yes, a little bit violent. Sometimes. Maybe.

Okay, a lot.

But if that was what was making her Samurai Boy so tense around her, she'd gladly change.

She knocked on the door to the room he shared with that one guy. The black-haired one who was always overdressed, he was usually out and she hadn't interacted with him much. _Hmmm... Maybe Samurai Boy's been kicking him out when he knows I'm coming over._ The thought made her giggle a bit, so that when Kai opened the door wearing his usual scowl she had a dorky smile on her face. Great. Although, after realizing who was at the door, he put on an equally silly smile, so that served to make her feel at least a little less awkward. He only ever smiled at her, and it never failed to make her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"Monica..." He said, "You're here a little earlier than you usually have been. Good morning." He then appeared to... Brace himself for something, straightening his arms and tensing his shoulders.

Oh, God, Spencer was right. He was acting like an abused puppy.

She stepped closer to him, and he flinched. She grabbed his hands and pulled him even closer to her. She tilted her face up to his and gave him her prettiest smile. "Good morning to you, too, darling~."

His mouth fell open and his face turned bright red as she walked passed him into the room. "D-D-D-_Darling_?"

She took off her jacket and hung it on the back of a chair. "What?" She asked, pouting, "Do you not like it?"

"W-Well, ah, it's not that I..." He swallowed hard, looking away from her, and shut the door.

"It's okay, I get it." She walked up to him again and snaked her arms around his waist. "You just weren't expecting it, huh?"

He stared down at her, wide-eyed, before his brain finally caught up with what was going on around him. He swallowed again. "Y-Yes, something like that." She leaned into him, resting her cheek on his chest. He was so warm and comfy, she really should have been treating him better... Suddenly she felt him put his hands on the small of her back and she had to bite her tongue to keep down the happy noise that threatened to burble out of her throat. _It worked! Spencer's a genius!_

She had to let go and quickly back away from him to keep from pouncing on him like she usually would. "So, uh..." It was her turn to nervously swallow, "What's on the agenda for today?"

"Well..." He was sheepish again. "... Baldy said he was going to be taking a break from practicing for a couple of hours today, and I was hoping you would help me practice candy sculpting some mo-"

"I'd love to!" She had already grabbed her jacket and was putting it on.

"Wha... Really?"

"Yeah! What, did you think I'd say no? Grab your jacket and let's go!"

He frowned at her. "I don't need my jacket."

"Yes you do, it's freezing outside. Hurry, get a move on!"


End file.
